Southeastern Community College has been named a Military Friendly School for 2011 by G.I. Jobs magazine. This honor places SCC in the top 15% of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide. It is the College’s second year in a row to make the list. SCC will be included in the 2011 G.I. Jobs Guide to Military Friendly Schools, a publication distributed to active and former military personnel later this year.

Criteria for making the Military Friendly Schools list included efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, results in recruiting military and veteran students and academic accreditations.

Criteria were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board consisting of educators and administrators from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Toledo, Duquesne University, Dallas Community College and Lincoln Technical Institute.

SCC Enrollment Specialist/Veterans Advisor Dennis Marino says that making this list will help the College better serve military personnel living throughout the Great River Region.

“With all the increased benefits in the new GI Bill, going to college will be even more enticing for veterans. Once vets see SCC is on the Military Friendly School list, we expect more inquiries about what we offer.”

Marino continues that not only do military students benefit from attending college, their fellow students benefit from military students’ presence.

“Military students often have a high degree of maturity, and bring significant life experiences and leadership to the classroom. The different perspectives that service members and veterans have to offer make everyone’s educational experience richer.”

The new GI Bill passed in 2008 increases educational benefits available to members of the military who have served on active duty since September 11, 2001, including reservists and members of the National Guard. It allows veterans pursuing an approved program of education to receive payments covering college-related costs. It also provides them with a monthly housing cost stipend plus additional funds to cover books, supplies, equipment, and other educational costs.

Marino says that veterans attending college must have their college enrollment certified according to GI Bill requirements. Typically college certifying officials work as financial aid officers and don’t have the academic advising experience to guide veterans through their college career. At SCC, designated staff members who know the ins and outs of academic advising are tasked to work with all veterans. As Veterans Advisor, Marino is able to keep up-to-date on all the requirements as well as track each student’s academic progress.

“We try to keep close contact with our veteran students. The GI Bill requirements can be complicated and we’ve found that keeping close tabs on their academic career makes it easier for them to complete college without any hassles.”

For the full 2011 list of Military Friendly Schools, visit www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/2011list.

G.I. Jobs is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. The company also publishes The Guide to Military Friendly Schools, Military Spouse and Vetrepreneur magazines and annually rates the nation’s “Military Friendly Employers,” “Military Spouse Friendly Employers” and “Best Corporations for Veteran- Owned Businesses.”